10 Early-Blooming Flowers That Already Have Us Counting Down to Spring

Magnolia trees are an early bloomer. The trees have large leaves, which are beautiful alone, however, the tree's fragrant and iconic flowers make them a welcomed sight to behold and an excellent addition to your garden. For bloom seekers, Zones 5 to 9 have dibs first.

Magnolias thrive in hot summers and require little branch pruning. Unless you're lopping off damaged branches, pruning isn't required.  

Gordon shares that hellebores are one of the first buds to bloom, even doing so through a dusting of fresh snow. The plant is hardy and requires little light, making them a superb garden variety. 

"Once established, hellebores will drop many of their seeds and small sprouts will appear in the spring," he shared. "These will turn into new plants on their own if given enough light."

Be sure to scoop up some extra seedlings to plant in little pots as they make great gifts. They bloom in late winter on the cusp of early spring in Zone 6 through Zone 9.

Don't let the name fool you; bleeding hearts are a flourishing perennial with a delicate, heart-like look. 

The care for bleeding hearts is as simple as keeping the soil constantly moist, as they grow best in shaded or partially-shaded spots in North America.    

When grown in flocks, these little flowers look like nature's pastel carpet. These small, delicate blooms appear around mid-February to April. You can find early blooms from South Georgia to North Carolina.

Caring for creeping phlox is easy. This plant loves good soil, moderate water, and lots light.

Many of your favorite early springtime flowers are bulbs. Crocuses, hyacinths, and snowdrops are the first to burst from the thawing ground.

Gordon shares that bulbs are easy to plant and require little maintenance. Be sure to plant your bulbs in the fall to enjoy them come spring as they can self-multiply and spread out.

Unlike jasmine, winter jasmine lacks a sweet scent. However, these happy, early-blooming flowers are bright and commonly yellow. In fact, the shrub starts to bloom mid-winter and continues until April. Gordon relays that it's an easy-to-care-for plant once established in your yard.

Many use this winter jasmine as ground cover or to jacket walls, fences, and other objects. The plant enjoys good, drained soil and flourishes in full sun.

For those on spring watch, look out for the often giant, yellow flowering trees known as Forsythia. 

No matter their geographical roots, Forsythia blooms once a year, normally early- to mid-April in Zone 6. With the plant's vibrant yellow hue, forsythias look like a burst of sunshine. So naturally, the plant requires full sun to thrive.

Begonias are cheerful with large blossoms and colorful centers in green, orange, pink, red, and bronze-yellow. Blooms appear in the Southeast come early spring. Begonias prefer well-drained soil. This flower thrives in climates with warm days and cool nights.

Don't let their dark leaves fool you. Once viburnums begin to blossom, the flowers are as lovely as they are fragrant. Viburnums do well in Zone 4 to Zone 8 as they can tolerate various levels of light, contingent on the variety.

Upon planting viburnums, topping off the soil with mulch. Water it weekly during the summer months to keep this shrub looking sharp.

Gordon shares that camellias begin to bloom in the winter and will continue to flower come April in Zone 7 to Zone 10.

"They have beautiful, rich, green leaves and can feature different colors of flowers," he said. "They do well in well-drained soil and can be planted above ground in pots. The camellia is a great sight in the early days of spring."